Real time computation of a motion vector of an object imaged in a stream of video image frames is typically performed using specialized hardware, or using software requiring intensive processing.
The prior art of motion field estimation is largely dedicated to hardware for specific applications, such as fluid metrics and target tracking. The applications typically require either expensive equipment or precise estimation. There is currently no product that implements a “lightweight” real time implementation of optical flow concepts.
A system which uses a connected camera and motion detection in order to provide interactive games, is, for example, the Sony Playstation®. The Sony product is named EyeToy™, and other variations on the name EyeToy™ such as, EyeToy: Play 2™. An example reference to Sony EyeToy™ can be found on the World Wide Web, at: www.us.playstation.com/pressreleases.aspx?id=283.
The following references are also believed to represent the state of the art:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,059 to Iu et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,196 to Griessl et al;
US Published Patent Application 2005/0100207 of Konolige;
PCT Published Patent Application WO 98/03021 of SRI International;
PCT Published Patent Application WO 01/96982 of Dynapel Systems Inc.;
PCT Published Patent Application WO 05/006762 of Queen Mary & Westfield College;
EP Patent Application No. EP 0 557 007 of Sony Corporation; and
EP Patent EP 0 966 727 to GMD—Forschungszentrum Informationstechnik Gmbh.
The disclosures of all references mentioned above and throughout the present specification, as well as the disclosures of all references mentioned in those references, are hereby incorporated herein by reference.